New Big Boy Smoker build

[Sailor]

The Bradley 4 rack has produced lots of sausage over the years but it just ain't big enough for what I need.  Been looking for a proofer/hot holding cabinet for the right price for quite sometime.  Found one that is what I had been looking for but had to drive 2 hours each way to get it.  First off the cabinet is not insulated but that is not going to be a problem.  It will be easy to insulate.  2nd it has a fan in it to pull air to the bottom and route it up the inside back panel to circulate the air.  It has a lexcon front door and that will most likely get insulated as I don't need to see a smoke stained window  ;D.  I am figuring I can get at least 70 pounds of sausage and perhaps up to 100 pounds hanging in it.  It only has a 1400 watt heater and the specs say it will heat to 185 degrees and runs on 110 Volt......PERFECT!!!!!!!

I have the Auber 2 probe plug and play PID and I will rewire the proofer to be powered by a contactor so the PID output will only be running the contactor and the PID will hardly be drawing any wattage and no worries about burning the PID up.  Most likely I will build a control box and install a programmable PID in it.  Will rewire the fan set up for a variable speed dial so I can control the fan speed.  Not quite sure how I will vent it just yet or how I will vent the intake air.  Will have to take it apart and do some thinking.  In the future I may change out the heating element to a 2500 watt oven element so I can get the temps up to 250 and do butts and brisket but don't need that right now. 

It has wheels and is very light to move around


Sides and rear will be pretty easy to insulate and put a skin on


Baffel panel that distributes air that is sucked from the front that goes under the cabinet into the heating chamber and blows back into the cabinet.


Showing the floor vent holes that suck cabinet air to return to the cabinet.  There is a water holding area that was used for humidity.  Not sure if this is an option to hold pellets to heat for smoke generation but it is a possibility.  Got to get to the underside to see what type of heater is heating this area.


Will take lots of photos of the build and of the wiring just in case someone wants to do a similar build.  Going to take my time with this so please be patient.

Jim

[tailfeathers]

Wow! That oughta keep you out of trouble for a while, looks like it's gonna be one sweetheart of a unit when you get through. Congratulations!

[iceman]

Looks like a great project coming up!  :)
I always enjoy building bigger and better smokers.  ;D
Have fun!

[beefmann]

great score... i see a  lot of  work and good  smoked sausages in the future

[hutcho]

This could be interesting.   :)

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2

[Saber 4]

Looks like your going to turn that into a Super Sized Bradley by the time your done.

[Smoke some]

 Looks like the makings for a nice build... Thanks for the updates your going to post.

[Sailor]

The bottom heating unit just slips out of the cabinet to reveal a solid floor with a cut out in the back panel for the electrical.  Took the unit outside and gave it a good bath and let her dry in the sun yesterday afternoon.  The odor that was present is no longer there and she is clean and smells good.


Another view of the cabinet with the guts taken out for cleaning.


Back vent taken out and scrubbed and all nice and clean.


Took the electronics compartment apart to see what was in there.  The fan compartment is separated from the electronics by a panel and is separated from the heating chamber by a panel.  It pulls air from the cabinet and blows across the heating elements in the heating chamber and up the back thru the vent panel.  That fan puts out an enormous amount of air.  Don't know what CFM it is but that little puppy cranks the air.


There are  2 110 Volt heating element in the heating chamber.  The fan blows over the elements and then thru the openings that feed the vent chamber that is part of the back wall.  The humidity pan has a heating element but I did not take it apart to see what it was.  There is a sensor that will read the humidity and turn that heater on and off.  Not sure if this will get hot enough to smoke chips or not.  I am still thinking that the AMAZ-N PS will put out enough smoke.  Will have to test that when I vent the top.


Cleaned out the electronic cabinet and put it all back together and plugged it into the garage 110 circuit and the GFCI would not hold.  Had to run a heavy drop cord inside to get the thing fired up.  Within 30 mins she came up to 130 degrees and in 45 mins was running at 160 degrees.  I shut it down at 160 as I was satisfied in what I was seeing.  With the way the framing is built I can put 1 inch of insulation in it.  2 layers of 1/2 inch Polyisocyanurate insulation will give me about an R 7 value so that will help a bunch to hold the cabinet temp.  The Polyisocyanurate insulation is rated for 300 degrees and I don't plan on getting the temp above 250 and will most likely only get it to 170 to 175.

The electronic cabinet has some space between the sides when it is shoved in so I am thinking that I may not have to cut any vent holes to bring outside air in to vent the cabinet.  I will only know for sure when I cut a vent hole in the top to see how it is drawing.

I will cut a hole in the face plate and put an outlet in to run the PID and another outlet hole to run the contactor that will turn the heating elements on and off.  I am still thinking of converting the elements to 220 volt.  I will either install a single circuit non GFCI 110 outlet or a 220 outlet in the garage to run this thing.

Bottom line is that she is clean and she works.  Now I have to vent it and find someone that has a brake to bend some metal so I can build the exterior skin and insulate it after I put a vent in.

Back when I make more progress.

[beefmann]

clean looking boxes,, that  blower  looks  like it  will  move some air